The Alabama Senate approved a bill Tuesday (March 31) requiring overnight camps in Alabama to meet more safety standards and have state-issued emergency preparedness licenses.
The substitute version of House Bill 381, the Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act now goes back to the House for final approval.
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The legislation is named after 8-year-old Sarah Marsh from Birmingham and 26 other campers and counselors who were killed in a flood on July 4, 2025, at Camp Mystic in Texas. It is part of a national effort to increase camp safety.
Advocates gathered at the State House Tuesday to watch the bill’s progression.
“The Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act is about protection,” Patrick Marsh, Sarah’s father, said in a written statement. “It’s about protecting our state’s most valued and treasured asset … our children … our future. It’s about ensuring that no parent in Alabama ever has to experience what our families have endured. It’s about requiring the safety standards that should have always been required of camps.”
Requirements
Requirements in the bill include a license from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and severe weather and flood safety protocols.
Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, is the House sponsor.
“We have some of the finest camps in the country, right here in Alabama,” Faulkner said. “I think most of us expect that there are laws in place that require those camps to have safety training, to have safety communication, safety measures and background checks being done. Frankly, that has not been the case at most camps, and today, we are proud to change that standard for all children and for Sarah’s legacy which will outlive us all.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by the Alabama Daily News.
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